By: Pierre Ghassibi
Greetings.
Obesity disturbs the hormonal system of the body. Hormones go everywhere and therefore the effect is everywhere. We see mor :
Depression, clumsiness, migraines, diabetes, high BP, higher cholesterol and triglycerides, increased risk of cancers, acid reflux, sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, irregular periods, decreased fertility, different skin rashes, asthma, retinal detachment, prostate issues, kidney stones, ED, heart diseases, lower immunity, poor self esteem, chronic fatigue.
Yet, we continue to be fixated on eating. We keep after our children to eat, we think thinness is a disease (at least some of us do). We think rest is good, while it never cures anything. It is better to stay somewhat active even when we are sick.
We know that treating obesity is an impossible task. We get burned out trying. Fasting causes us to be more addicted to eating. The body gets used to a high Calorie intake and if we try to fast, we get headaches, nervousness, insomnia and restlessness. I will call this “relative hunger”.
There is no magic diet. Surgery and pills have side effects and work for a short time if there is no permanent shift in our relationship with food.
What I have seen work is very slow and very small decrease in the Calorie intake, small enough not to lead to the torture of relative hunger. It takes time for results.
P. Ghassibi, md
ghassibi@hotmail.com